Documents simply signed through the course of normal business may still be considered contracts. Purchase orders, receipts, sales agreements and others can be held legally binding under certain circumstances. Since the contract is a written agreement between parties, it is crucial that you understand your end of the agreement. If you don?t, you may still be held liable.

How Can I Ensure a Contract is Good?

Reading a document before you sign it is obviously the cardinal rule. The terms outlining your duties under the contract are especially worthy of special attention. However, documents can often be too lengthy for a worthwhile read, or so commonplace that reading each one is not practical. If so, there are still other ways you can effectively review it. A Petersburg, Virginia attorney can look over a contract before you sign it, as well as review any standardized documents that you deal with on a routine basis. In so doing, the Attorney will ensure that the legal effect of the documents matches your intent.

What if I Don't Understand a Contract in Virginia?

The words of a contract are meant to simply express an agreement between two parties. They are not the agreement itself. It is your understanding of the contract that typically matters most, regardless of cumbersome contract language. Since you will be bound by your understanding of a contract, it is unwise to rely too heavily on the other party's representation of your duties. A neutral third party in Petersburg can be hired to review and explain the contract. Regardless of how complicated the negotiations in a specific field may be, giving the intent of the parties legal effect is the objective of all contracts under Virginia law.